Egypt’s Military Strongman Running for President
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Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images(CAIRO) — Egyptian Field Marshall Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi announced Wednesday in a televised address his intention to run for president as well as cede his control of the country’s powerful army.
The 59-year-old military strongman, who is also Egypt’s defense minister, cannot run for public office unless he is a civilian. His victory in the upcoming election this spring is virtually assured.
Dressed in his general’s uniform for what would be the last time, el-Sisi proclaimed, “I, with all humility, come forward announcing my intention to run for the presidency. Your support will be giving me this great honor.”
El-Sisi’s supporters credit him with ridding the country of President Mohammed Morsi last July, a strict Islamist who many said was more interested in promoting Sharia law than improving the country either economically or socially.
However, the now-former general’s detractors call him a dictator for trying to wipe out any form of dissent. Over the past nine months, Egypt’s interim government has done just that by systematically dismantling Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood party and making it next to impossible to publicly express opposing views.
Thousands have been jailed in Egypt since last July and just this past week, a court sentenced 529 people to death for the killing of a single police officer last summer. Despite international condemnation, Egypt’s top prosecutors ordered two more trials Wednesday for more than 900 people accused of murder.
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